Heinz: Take You On A ‘SOS Tomatoes’ Journey in Fortnite

In my first-ever post, I discussed H&M’s Loooptopia, a game about fashion circularity through Roblox. So, I was thinking, why not end it with another company collaborating with another game company for my potential last post? So this post, I will introduce you to the collaboration between the famous condiment brand Heinz and Fortnite.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 95% of the food we consume comes from social; however, due to the increase in population and climate change, we are also putting a health risk on the soil. “SOS Tomatoes,” the game that the two companies collaborated on, aims to educate players about the “world’s declining soil health and effect positive environmental change.” In this game, the players can go through the journey of how to grow a tomato by becoming one, which means experiencing being in the field. Furthermore, to incorporate Fornite’s characteristics, the players will have to run faster than the speed of “soil degradation,” which also sends out another message of how fast soil health is declining. By playing this game, Heinz also announced that it would help impact the real world as the company will protect an extra 13.5 million acres of soil and more than 1600 soccer fields!

More and more market leaders have raised awareness of the need for sustainable practices in every industry, such as fashion and food. To increase such awareness, most companies nowadays have decided to target Gen Z since they are our future leaders and focus on using video games as a medium for education. However, I wonder if such an effort impacts these teenagers or even us on sustainability. After playing these games, will we remember what we learned or just think of it as a special version of the game we like? Is there a more effective way to educate people? As a person who plays games, I love how companies tap into the metaverse, but I am not convinced about the effectiveness of such ideas. Despite that, It is nice to know companies are at least finding novel ways to incorporate education on sustainability in our lives.

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LEGO X WWF and UNICEF for Better Future

I researched partnerships for last Thursday’s class but did not get to share it with my classmates, so I decided to share it here instead, which is about LEGO’s Partnerships with WWF and UNICEF.

For the partnership with WWF, LEGO has become part of the climate savers program, which engages businesses and industries on climate and energy. By being a member of such a program, LEGO has committed to reducing CO2 emissions and waste by 10% per brick they produce and using renewable energy. Besides that, they also establish an environmental engagement program that educates the encourage their employees to reduce their energy use, waste, and water consumption.

As for the partnership with UNICEF, LEGO has implemented and advocated for Children’s Rights and Business Principles, a 10-point charter outlining how a company can respect and support children’s rights to create a safe environment and protect their well-being. Besides, they also made many achievements, such as introducing an industry-first Digital Child Safety Policy, co-creating the ‘Child Online Safety Assessment’ tool that can be accessed through LEGO’s website, and much more.

That is a lot of content. But from this, we can know that LEGO actually put in lots of effort in such partnerships and has made quite a few achievements.

One sentence that hit me really hard during last week’s class is, “enlightened self-interest is the only genuinely sustainable motive.” At first, this sounds very… I do not know how to explain, but this is very true. Companies only started to think about sustainability when they found the benefits of doing so, and the customers asked for it. In this case, LEGO’s biggest customers are children! Maybe that is why they put so much effort into these partnerships. Despite whether these actions are genuine or not, it is remarkable that companies are working towards being more sustainable and caring about children. As the industry leader in toy manufacturing, LEGO has set an excellent example for other companies to follow. I am excited to see what else they plan to do.

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PBX: The New Convenience Store

In class, we discussed the convenience of the 4 Cs and discussed Convenience stores. Because of this, I decided to look into whether there is a “sustainable” convenience store, and I found one! Let me introduce you to PBX, a convenience store in Stockholm that strives to be the world’s “most sustainable convenience store.”

According to Reitan Convenience Sweden, the mission of PBX is to inspire customers, retailers, and suppliers to be more sustainable. To become “sustainable” in operation, they look into their product’s content, origin, and packaging to ensure what they have in store is better for the environment. For instance, a few actions that had taken were stopping stocking cigarettes since it has a significant environmental footprint. Also, according to the article, they have set a limit of 100 grams on sweets. Moreover, another large project they worked on, the one I love the best, is to set up a Coca-Cola machine you will see in theatres, where you can purchase the drink in your own container. For this initiative, they collaborate with Glacial, a beverage container, so you can purchase the bottle to fill your drink. This new concept would significantly reduce the need for packaging, especially the PET bottles that could end up in the ocean!

I love this new concept of a convenience store, but it made me think maybe it also defeats the whole purpose of a “convenience store.” The convenience store should provide you with convenience; if I have to bring my container to get a soda or purchase a bottle just to get a drink, maybe it is not convenient. Because of this, people might just turn around to go to another store. One thing I think they can do is have this machine available in the store. Still, instead of asking people to purchase a brand new bottle, they could have the “share bottle” system and be able to return the bottle conveniently, such as in all stores owned by Reitan Convenience Sweden. Another question that pops up is whether this system can be adapted in Asia as Asian convenience is hugely different from the ones in American and perhaps Europe countries, as we discussed in class. Furthermore, to consider the store the “most sustainable convenience store,” besides the products, they also have to look into whether the store itself is sustainable, such as whether the shop is run with renewable energy.

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The Ocean Cleanup: The New System 03

After knowing our client is Plastic Bank, I decided to do more research on ocean cleaning and found this article about The Ocean Cleanup!

Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization founded by Boyan Slat in 2013 that strives to, as the name says, clean up the ocean! Especially plastic. The organization has developed different technology developments to help achieve its goal; for instance, their System 002 “Jenny,” an ocean cleanup system, works like a fish net that collects the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), located between Hawaii and California consists approximately 100 million kilograms of plastic. 

With the help of donations from individuals and huge organizations like Airbnb, this year, they will launch their System 03, which is three times the size of their previous System 02, about 2400 meters wide. With this, they aim to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040! Compared to the old system, System 03 is way more efficient as it only needs “as few as ten systems” to clean the entire GPGP. However, there are always challenges. The variables influencing the results are the “downtime for extracting the plastic that’s collected and how well the system can be steered to target hot spots in the patch.” You may be wondering what they do with the plastic they picked it up. For The Ocean Cleanup, they hope to work with other companies to transform this ocean plastic into “durable plastic products.” To prove it is possible, they have come up with sunglasses.

Besides the ocean, The Ocean Cleanup also puts effort into cleaning up the rivers by having Interceptor systems that will “capture plastic before it reaches the ocean” to stop the tap. However, due to regulations and cultural differences, they could not manage and handle local waste themselves, which causes issues.

The Ocean Clean Up operates on a bigger scale than Plastic Bank due to its capacity and funding from business giants. Moreover, their ways of collecting the plastic are different since one is towing a huge net to capture the ocean plastic, and one is collecting plastic around the neighborhood and turning plastic into currency. Eliminate the discussion of which one is better; it is nice to know some organizations care about the planet and are willing to help. As individuals help, we can support them through donating, getting their merchandise, or helping out if possible!

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Anheuser-Busch: Encourage Fans to Join the NRL to Win NFL Tickets

What do people do when they watch sports games? DRINK! Because of this, beer cans or bottles always lie around the stadium after an event finishes. However, Anheuser-Busch, a famous beer giant, came out with the idea that it would incentivize people to recycle their bottles and cans. This will increase the recycling rate of empty bottles and cans during a sports event and reduce the cleaning effort needed.

This year, Anheuser-Busch brought a cycle reverse vending machine to NFL and MLB sports events stadiums to encourage people to recycle empty bottles and cans. This also allows fans to join its National Recycling League (NRL) and win prizes. The vending machine will give prizes, such as tickets to the Super Bowl event, for every recycled container. As for the NRL, it is a campaign that Anheuser-Busch started to help encourage recycling and reduce waste during sports events. Its current activations include “offering infinitely recyclable aluminum cups” instead of single-use plastic ones and a call-to-action of “Recycle Like A Champion.” During these sports events, there will also be Recycling Hawkers, volunteers from an organization called Keep America Beautiful, to help collect used cups, cans, and bottles to ensure every container will be recycled properly. 

This initiative is undoubtedly a huge step for sports events to be more environmentally friendly. However, it is difficult to imagine if this campaign will be successful without knowing the scale of this project, such as how many vending machines will be placed and whether the fans know this event is ongoing. Also, another factor that will influence the success of this campaign is whether the prize is appealing. For instance, if today, they are only going to give out a minimal amount of Super Bowl tickets, the fans might think the chance to win such a ticket is too little and decide it is too much work to go out of their way to participate. 

Despite the potential concerns, as previously mentioned, this is a huge step. I look forward to such a campaign being brought up not only in NFL or MBL, but other international events such as the Olympics or FIFA.

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Library of Things: Start Borrowing, Stop Buying

Have you ever had an experience where you buy an item and only use it once? I did. I remember I bought this specific sauce from Save On Foods just because I wanted to recreate an authentic Thai dish- Pad Krapow Gai; after my cravings were satisfied, I never used that sauce again, and then it expired, so I had to throw it out. 

This kind of activity has created lots of waste. But, in Saskatoon, a sustainability living store called “” has found a way to tackle such a problem: having a “Library of Things.” This new business model works exactly like a library, but instead of books, are things!

The “Library of Things” is a volunteer-led initiative where the store “encourages sustainable living” by reducing waste generated by those “one-time” use item but also help save money for people. How the “Library of Things” works is that people visiting the store can borrow or reserve the items they want. According to the owner, there is stuff ranging from kitchen appliances such as bread makers to spices such as ginger powder that one might buy for one-time use only. All this stuff gathered in the store is also donated by the Saskatoon residents, which further builds a community.

In the earlier classes, we discussed ways 20 business model innovations for sustainability, and one of the categories is diverse impact. For example, the “Library of Things” targeted the shared resource aspect of it. With this, people do not have to own a specific product and hence will decrease the waste generated. Another element is that for people who are unsure whether they want a particular item, these borrowable products can serve as a try-out, so it also helps decrease the risk and uncertainty of owning a product. Other examples of shared resources are AirBnB or Evo Cars.

Everything has a risk. One risk is people sabotaging shared resources. For example, in some cases, Airbnb owners found out their houses were trashed and some items were stolen. To tackle those issues, the shop owners should notify the borrower about specific use rules or have them put in a deposit.

Besides the risks, I  would love to see if Vancouver shops will be willing to tap into this business model soon as this could change consumer behavior of buying things whenever to borrow when needed.

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CAYO: Say Hello to Alpaca Wool Jumpers. A More Sustainable Choice, or Is It?

When searching for an idea for the blog, I came across this interesting news about a brand called CAYO.

CAYO is an Irish fashion brand that produces clothing from Peruvian Alpaca wool. Alpaca wool, different from angora rabbit and cashmere goat’s wool, apparently is more sustainable and better for the environment.

Here are some benefits of Alpaca wool:

  • Lighter footprint: Alpacas require a small amount of food and water. They consume food that is about 15% of their body weight. They also eat native grass and do not destroy natural vegetation as they do not pull the root from the ground when they eat.
  • Plentiful wool: One alpaca can provide wool for 5-7 jumpers! Compared to cashmere goats, one can only produce ¼ of a sweater.
  • They are natural fertilizers: They naturally fertilize the land.
  • Long lasting, does not retain odor, lanolin-free, breathable, durable, moisture-wicking, non-itch, and hypoallergenic: THAT’S A LOT! Yes, these are all the benefits.

CAYO got me all excited and curious, so I researched more to see if alpaca wool is actually sustainable. From my research, it seems like it is indeed more sustainable than other widely seen wools. However, it is not 100% sustainable due to some reasons, such as the followings:

  • Might involve animal exploitation: To produce the wool, the alpacas might live under harsh conditions, and sometimes they are forced to sheared at the wrong time to make the material. Typically, alpaca will shed their wool once a year during the season.
  • Transportation footprint is high: Since CAYO is an Irish brand, the footprint of transporting the alpaca wool all the way from Peru can cause negative impacts on the environment. 

However, despite this, CAYO has stated that they only use the wool from “ who have plenty of room to roam around the Peruvian Andes and are only sheared once every 12 months (during the shearing season),” which sounds promising. Also, they have participated in carbon offsetting by donating to the Carbon Fund depending on their calculated carbon emissions. But, does carbon offsetting really works? That’s a different story.

So, what is the best solution here? Perhaps consider buying clothes made from vegan textiles or more sustainable alternatives.

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H&M’s ‘Loooptopia’ Metaverse Experience Educate People On Circular Fashion

Recently, H&M, along with other brands such as Gucci, has tapped into the metaverse by collaborating with Roblox and launching its H&M Loooptopia Experience. The game allows people to create their avatars and learn about “recycling materials and garments for a circular fashion future” through different elements provided, such as mini-games. The users can gather fashion ingredients, make them into wearable in-game clothes, recycle old clothes to get rare elements to make other clothes, and trade clothes with their friends.

With the rise in the gaming community and younger people becoming more tech-savvy than ever, Loooptopia focuses on targeting the younger generations and gamers, our future leaders, to educate them about sustainability in a fun and accessible way. Besides focusing on the environmental side of sustainability, Loooptopia also emphasizes inclusivity since the games allow users to express their unique selves and identity by creating avatars and the clothes they make in-game. All of these align with H&M’s value of “style, creativity, and culture.”

While Loooptopia is a great start to teaching people about what circular fashion is, it raises a question of how effective it is to help create an actual impact on the world. We cannot guarantee that people will actively participate in certain sustainable activities after playing the game. What is the indication of the campaign’s success and how to measure it is the question H&M needs to consider. If the measure of success only depends on the game’s active users but not the actual environmental impact, such as the number of recycled and repurposed clothes. In that case, the game can be just a mere promotional strategy for H&M and a show of proof that they are “caring for the environment” and to cover up the recent “greenwashing” accusation.

H&M declare they are putting effort into being a more sustainable company by innovating around its use of materials and the process of producing clothing. For instance, they are trying to design clothes that can get recycled and repurposed, and they have come out with a collection from “recycled metals and circular, bio-based fabrics and food waste.” Whether it is making a positive impact or just “greenwashing,” it is nice to know that huge brands have taken the role of educators to teach the future generation about sustainability.

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